Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero took a few shots at Tigers reliever and former teammate Jose Valverde on Friday night for the closer’s wild antics on the mound. It’s not the first time that an opponent has questioned Valverde’s animated jumps and fist pumps, and we usually don’t get a response from the intimidating ninth-inning man. But Montero must have really hit a nerve.

“Tell Montero he’s a freaking rookie and I can do
whatever I want to. Tell him that. Put
it in the papers. If he wants to do something, tell him to come to my
locker and let me know. … I never liked Montero. He’s a (bleeping) piece of (bleep). … Tell Montero he has two years (in the majors) and I have eight.”

At least he got the service time correct on the second try. Montero fired back:

“He’s dumb. What do you want me to say? He’s smart? No. He’s just dumb.”

The Diamondbacks and Tigers will finish up a three-game interleague series on Monday then won’t meet again for the rest of the season . So if this thing is going to come to fisticuffs, it will have to happen today. Not that we’re rooting for a fight, or anything…

Valverde’s reaction may seem extreme, but I think Montero’s comments were worse…for anyone who hasn’t read them:
“He’s a (bleeping) (bleep),” Montero told the Arizona Republic. “The way he acts, it’s not right, you know. You’ve got to be professional. I’ve always felt that way. And I’ve always told him. That’s the way he is. I guess he thinks it’s right. But I don’t care.”
“You can write it down,” Montero said. “I hope he reads it. It’s all right. We’ll face him down the road at some point, and I guess I’m going to pimp it.”
Montero added he was surprised Valverde threw three consecutive splitters to get Montero out.
“I never suspected that,” Montero said. “I didn’t think he had that kind of brain to throw three splits in a row. It surprised me.”